86 DOMESTIC ANBIALS. 



ing to the origin of the nerve — the brain becoming aftected, and uni- 

 versal and unbroken spasmodic action being the result. Bleeding, 

 physicking, blistering the course of the spine, and the administration 

 of opium in enormous doses, will alone give any chance of cure. Epi- 

 lepsy is not a frequent disease in the horse, but it seldom admits of 

 cure. It is also very apt to return at the most distant and uncertain in- 

 tervals. Palsy is the suspension of nervous power. It is usually confined 

 to the hinder limbs and sometimes to one limb only. Bleeding, physick- 

 ing, antimonial medicines, and blistering of the spine are most likely to 

 produce a cure; but they too often utterly fail of success. Rabies^ or 

 madness, is evidently a disease of the nervous system, and once being 

 developed, is altogether without remedy. The utter destruction of the 

 bitten part with the lunar caustic soon after the infliction of the wound, 

 will, however, in a great majority of cases, prevent that development. 



Founder. — Founder, when acute, requires a treatment like that of other 

 inflammations, with such differences as the situation of the disease may 

 suggest. 



131eeding is indispensable, and that to its fullest extent. If the dis- 

 ease is confined to the fore-feet, four quarts of blood should be taken as 

 soon as possible from the toe of each ; care being taken to open the 

 artery as well as the vein. The feet may likewise be put into warm 

 water, to quicken the flow of the blood, and increase the quantity ab- 

 stracted. Poultices of linseed meal, made very soft, should cover the 

 whole of the foot and pastern, and be frequently renewed, which will 

 promote evapoi-ation from the neighboring parts, and possibly through 

 the pores of the hoof, and by softening and rendering supple the hoof, 

 will relieve its painful pressure on the swelled and tender parts beneath. 

 More fully to accomplish this last purpose, the shoe should be removed, 

 the sole pared as thin as possible, and the crust, and particularly the 

 quarters, well rasped. All this must be done gently, and with a great 

 deal of patience, for the poor animal can scarcely bear his feet to be 

 meddled with. There used to be occasional doubt as to the adminis- 

 tration of physic, from fear of metastasis (shifting) of inflammation 

 which has sometimes occurred, and been generally fatal. When, how- 

 ever, there is so much danger of losing the patient from the original 

 attack, we must run the risk of the other. Sedative and cooling medi- 

 cines should be diligently administered, consisting of digitalis, nitre, and 

 emetic tartar. 



Chronic Founder. — This is a species of founder insidious in its attack, 

 and destructive to the horse. It is a milder form of the preceding dis- 

 ease. There is lameness, but it is not so severe as in the former case. 

 The horse stands as usual. The crust is warm, and that warmth is con- 

 stant, but it is not often probably greater than in a state of health. The 

 surest symptom is the action of the animal. It is diametrically opposite 

 to that in the navicular disease. The horse throws as much of his 

 weight as he can on the posterior parts of his feet. 



The treatment should be similar to that recommended for the acute 

 disease — blood letting, poultices, fomentations, and blisters, and the last 

 much sooner and much more frequently than in the former disease. 



Bog and UlooJ-Spavin. — x\ttached to the extremities of most of the 



